Audio 3:16
Tense week for Government and Gillard leadership

Alexandra KirkUpdated
Mon Mar 18 10:32:00 EST 2013

The Federal Government is bracing itself for another week of robust campaigning by powerful media interests as it tries to secure enough votes to change media rules. The pressure is on the Prime Minister to turn the electoral tide, to keep Kevin Rudd at bay. Some say his return is inevitable, others worry the campaign is stalled. Labor has begun organising a grass roots campaign in a bid to emulate the unions' 2007 campaign that helped sweep Labor into power.

Transcript

TIM PALMER: The Federal Government is bracing for another week of the stinging campaign by press interests opposed to its proposed media laws as it tries to secure enough votes to pass the legislation.

It's Parliament's last sitting week before a long autumn break and the pressure's on the Gillard forces to turn the electoral tide and keep Kevin Rudd at bay.

The Prime Minister won't find any comfort in today's Fairfax Nielsen poll, which sees her trailing Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister and Labor well behind the Coalition; 56 per cent to 44 on the two party preferred vote.

In a bid to boost Labor's fortunes, one of the party's senior union powerbrokers is trying to mobilise a grassroots election campaign along the lines of its successful 2007 election run.

From Canberra, Alexandra Kirk reports.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: For the past six months Kevin Rudd supporters have talked up the prospects of a comeback. Some regard it inevitable, saying it's clear the public wants him, while others say it's reached a stalemate, with caucus deeply divided over how the party can unite around a new leadership.

The majority of Labor's right faction MPs from New South Wales are now in the Rudd camp. But Labor powerbroker Tony Sheldon, also from the New South Wales right, is adamant Mr Rudd won't be back.

TONY SHELDON: Julia Gillard will be the Prime Minister at the next election.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Tony Sheldon heads the Transport Workers Union and is vice president of the ALP. He has this message for the Rudd camp.

TONY SHELDON: The majority of people in the Labor Party, regardless of their views, have a very strong view about getting a Labor government elected and are very much campaigning for what is a very effective Prime Minister to make sure the selection is based on Labor values. And Labor values is what's going to win this election.

TONY SHELDON: Two-thousand and seven was a hiatus of re-engaging with the community and community values. Now is the time for tens of thousands of campaigners, the mums and dads, the grandparents and the kids, to express those Labor values to the community and not just leave it to managerial speak.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: He's called 457 visas "a form of slavery" for some foreign workers and maintains it will be a big election issue.

TONY SHELDON: And what inherently happens with 457 visas, that when you're under the threat of being deported if you lose your job within 28 days, if you turn around and raise safety issues, wage issues, rights issues and you're threatened to be thrown out of the country, then that is a power and a whip that employers have over any 457 person.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: But all eyes are on what might happen this week. One Rudd backer warns it will be a torrid week for the Prime Minister. In that environment, he says, anything can happen. And he predicts even if the Government's controversial media laws fail to pass Parliament, the backbench will agitate for Labor to drop them from its policy altogether.